Friday, August 30, 2019

Bob Carr (Yakima Ramblers - PCBL) Identified

Courtesy of an email from a family member, I was able to confirm that Bob Carr of the Pacific Coast League's Yakima Ramblers is Robert Allen Carr.

Bob Carr
1917-1996

Skippy Whitaker

Lucian Cary "Skippy" Whitaker


Born:
August 29, 1930
Quantico, VA

Died:
August 1990
London, United Kingdom


Career
1947-48 Sarasota High School - Florida (High School)
1949-50 University of Kentucky (College)
1950-51 University of Kentucky (College)
1951-52 University of Kentucky (College)
1954-55 Boston Celtics (NBA)

Whitaker was born in Virginia but went to high school in Sarasota. He would go to the University of Kentucky and was a member of the 1951 NCAA Championship team. After graduating in 1952, he was drafted by the Indianapolis Olympians in the 1952 NBA Draft, but served with the Marines instead. He played three games for the Boston Celtics in February of 1955, scoring only 2 points.

Not sure what became of Whitaker after leaving the Celtics, except that died in London sometime in 1990.

Source:


Stats:
https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/w/whitask01.html
https://www.justsportsstats.com/basketballstatsindex.php?player_id=whitask01

Bobby Watson

Robert E. Watson


Born:
March 22, 1930
Central City, KY

Died:
January 31, 2017
Owensboro, KY


Career
1946-47 Owensboro High School - Kentucky (High School)
1947-48 Owensboro High School - Kentucky (High School)
1949-50 University of Kentucky (College)
1950-51 University of Kentucky (College)
1951-52 University of Kentucky (College)
1954-55 Minneapolis Lakers (NBA)
1954-55 Milwaukee Hawks (NBA)
1957-58 Henderson County High School - Kentucky (High School) Head coach
1958-59 Owensboro High School - Kentucky (High School) Head coach
1959-60 Owensboro High School - Kentucky (High School) Head coach
1960-61 Owensboro High School - Kentucky (High School) Head coach
1961-62 Owensboro High School - Kentucky (High School) Head coach
1962-63 Owensboro High School - Kentucky (High School) Head coach
1963-64 Owensboro High School - Kentucky (High School) Head coach
1964-65 Owensboro High School - Kentucky (High School) Head coach
1965-66 Owensboro High School - Kentucky (High School) Head coach
1966-67 Owensboro High School - Kentucky (High School) Head coach
1967-68 Owensboro High School - Kentucky (High School) Head coach
1968-69 Owensboro High School - Kentucky (High School) Head coach
1969-70 Owensboro High School - Kentucky (High School) Head coach
1970-71 Owensboro High School - Kentucky (High School) Head coach
1971-72 Owensboro High School - Kentucky (High School) Head coach
1972-73 Owensboro High School - Kentucky (High School) Head coach
1973-74 Owensboro High School - Kentucky (High School) Head coach
1974-75 Owensboro High School - Kentucky (High School) Head coach
1975-76 Owensboro High School - Kentucky (High School) Head coach
1976-77 Owensboro High School - Kentucky (High School) Head coach
1977-78 Owensboro High School - Kentucky (High School) Head coach
1978-79 Owensboro High School - Kentucky (High School) Head coach 
1979-80 Owensboro High School - Kentucky (High School) Head coach

Watson went to Kentucky wher ehe was a member of the 1951 NCAA Championship team. He became the fifth Wildcat to score 1000 points in his career. Watson was drafted by the Milwaukee Hawks in 1952 but served in the U.S. Air Force in the Korean War. He signed with the Minneapolis Lakers in late 1954 and played with the team until February 16, 1955, when he was traded to the Milwaukee Hawks for Lew Hitch. His playing career was shortened by an injury, we would go to coach basketball back at Owensboro High School, winning state titles in 1972 and 1980.

Bobby married Diane Hunt and they had one son and one daughter.

Source:
Obituary, WKYT

Stats:
https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/w/watsobo01.html
https://www.justsportsstats.com/basketballstatsindex.php?player_id=watsobo01

Jack Turner

Jackie Lee Turner


Born:
June 29, 1930
Bedford, IN

Died:
October 5, 2014
Bedford, IN


Career
1946-47 Bedford High School - Indiana (High School)
1947-48 Bedford High School - Indiana (High School)
1948-49 Western Kentucky University (College) Freshmen
1949-50 Western Kentucky University (College)
1950-51 Western Kentucky University (College)
1953-54 Western Kentucky University (College)
1954-55 New York Knicks (NBA)

A basketball star out of Bedford, Indiana, Jack Turner would go on to Western Kentucky. Turner served in the military following his junior year and returned to Western in 1953 and helped lead them to a 29-3 record. He was drafted by the New York Knicks in the first round of the 1954 NBA Draft and would play 65 games for the Knicks. 

Source:


Stats:
https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/t/turneja01.html
https://www.justsportsstats.com/basketballstatsindex.php?player_id=turneja01

Jim Tucker

James D. Tucker


Born:
December 11, 1932
Paris, KY

Died:
May 14, 2020
Jacksonville, FL


Career
Paris High School - Kentucky (High School)
1951-52 Duquesne University (College)
1952-53 Duquesne University (College)
1953-54 Duquesne University (College)
1954-55 Syracuse Nationals (NBA)
1955-56 Syracuse Nationals (NBA)
1956-57 Syracuse Nationals (NBA)

Tucker attended Duquesne and averaged 19 points as a sophomore. A very popular player for the Dukes, Tucker was drafted by the Syracuse Nationals in the third round of the 1954 NBA draft. One of the first black players in the NBA, Tucker played sparingly that first season as the Nationals won the NBA title. However, he did set an NBA record on February 20, 1955, when he scored the fastest triple-double in NBA history. In a mere seventeen minutes against the Knicks that night, Tucker scored 12 points, assisted on 12 baskets and grabbed 10 rebounds. His record stood until Nikola Jokic broke it in 2018.

A documentary about Tucker was released in 2018 called "Let 'Em Know You're There." The trailer can be seen HERE

Source:
http://www.readilyapparent.tv/lekyt


Stats:
https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/t/tuckeji01.html
https://www.justsportsstats.com/basketballstatsindex.php?player_id=tuckeji01

Art Spoelstra

Arthur Cornelius Spoelstra


Born:
September 11, 1932
Grand Rapids, MI

Died:
April 9, 2008
Evansville, IN


Career
1948-49 Godwin Heights High School - Grand Rapids, MI (High School)
1949-50 Godwin Heights High School - Grand Rapids, MI (High School)
1951-52 Western Kentucky University (College)
1952-53 Western Kentucky University (College)
1953-54 Western Kentucky University (College)
1954-55 Rochester Royals (NBA)
1955-56 Rochester Royals (NBA)
1956-57 Rochester Royals (NBA)
1957-58 Minneapolis Lakers  (NBA)
1957-58 New York Knicks (NBA)
1958-59 Allentown Jets (EPBL)
1959-60 Wilkes-Barre Barons (EPBL)

From Grand Rapids, Michigan, the 6'9 Art Spoelstra would score over 1500 points at Western Kentucky, leading the team to three straight NIT appearances and an 80-14 in his three years on the varsity team.

Drafted by the Rochester Royals, Spoelstra would play four seasons in the NBA, mostly with the Royal before splitting time between the Lakers and the Knicks in 1957-58. He played two years in the Eastern League after that. Art later worked as a stagehand on Broadway.

Art and his wife, Irene, had three sons and a daughter.


Source:


Stats:
https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/s/spoelar01.html
https://www.justsportsstats.com/basketballstatsindex.php?player_id=spoelar01

Gene Shue

Eugene William Shue


Born:
December 18, 1931
Baltimore, MD

Died:
April 3, 2022
Marina del Rey, CA


Career
Towson Catholic High School - Maryland (High School)
1951-52 University of Maryland (College)
1952-53 University of Maryland (College)
1953-54 University of Maryland (College)
1954-55 Philadelphia Warriors (NBA)
1954-55 New York Knicks (NBA)
1955-56 New York Knicks (NBA)
1956-57 Fort Wayne Pistons (NBA)
1957-58 Detroit Pistons (NBA)
1958-59 Detroit Pistons (NBA)
1959-60 Detroit Pistons (NBA)
1960-61 Detroit Pistons (NBA)
1961-62 Detroit Pistons (NBA)
1962-63 New York Knicks (NBA)
1963-64 Baltimore Bullets (NBA)
1966-67 Baltimore Bullets (NBA) Head coach
1967-68 Baltimore Bullets (NBA) Head coach
1968-69 Baltimore Bullets (NBA) Head coach
1969-70 Baltimore Bullets (NBA) Head coach
1970-71 Baltimore Bullets (NBA) Head coach
1971-72 Baltimore Bullets (NBA) Head coach
1972-73 Baltimore Bullets (NBA) Head coach
1973-74 Philadelphia 76ers (NBA) Head coach
1974-75 Philadelphia 76ers (NBA) Head coach
1975-76 Philadelphia 76ers (NBA) Head coach
1976-77 Philadelphia 76ers (NBA) Head coach
1977-78 Philadelphia 76ers (NBA) Head coach
1978-79 San Diego Clippers (NBA) Head coach
1979-80 San Diego Clippers (NBA) Head coach
1980-81 Washington Bullets (NBA) Head coach
1981-82 Washington Bullets (NBA) Head coach
1982-83 Washington Bullets (NBA) Head coach
1983-84 Washington Bullets (NBA) Head coach
1984-85 Washington Bullets (NBA) Head coach
1985-86 Washington Bullets (NBA) Head coach
1987-88 Los Angeles Clippers (NBA) Head coach
1988-89 Los Angeles Clippers (NBA) Head coach

Not even offered a scholarship at the University of Maryland, Gene Shue worked hard to play for the school and would average over 20 points per game in his junior and senior years. The school had never had a prominent basketball program, but Shue helped push the school into national prominence.

After leaving the University of Maryland, Shue was the 3rd overall pick in 1954 NBA draft, selected by the Philadelphia Warriors. Shue would last less than month with Philly before being sold to the New York Knicks. He would see limited playing time with the Knicks for two seasons and was then traded to the Fort Wayne Pistons in April of 1956 for Ron Sobie. Fort Wayne moved to Detroit the in 1957, and Shue began five straight years as an All-Star, scoring over 22 PPG in 1959-60 and 1960-61. He was traded back o the Knicks in 1962, and a little over a year later was sold to the new Baltimore Bullets.

After the 1963-64 season with the Bullets, he retired as a player but a few years later returned as the team's head coach. Struggling to a 16-40 record in his first season as coach in 1966-67, two years later he lead the Bullets to a divisional title (and unfortunately a quick exit from the playoffs.) In 1971, the Bullets advanced to the NBA Finals but Shue's team was swept by the Milwaukee Bucks. In June of 1973, Shue quit the Bullets with four divisional titles under his belt. He was hired by the Philadelphia 76ers a few weeks after. Shue took a team that had been 9-73 in 1972-73 to the NBA finals four seasons later. He was fired by the Sixers in December of 1977, and a year later would begin his two-season stint coaching the San Diego Clippers. He resigned from the Clippers in May of 1980 to return to the Bullets (now playing in the nation's capitol), but this time the Bullets remained hovering around the .500 mark for all six seasons he was at the helm. After being fired by the Bullets, he returned to the Clippers for a season and a half but didn't fare well, being fired 38 games into the 1988-89 season. He worked for the 76ers in the front office as well as working as a scout in the 90's.

Source:


Stats:
https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/s/shuege01.html
https://www.justsportsstats.com/basketballstatsindex.php?player_id=shuege01

Wednesday, August 14, 2019

Frank Selvy

Franklin Delano Selvy


Born:
November 9, 1932
Corbin, KY

 :




Career
1948-49 Corbin High School - Kentucky (High School)
1949-50 Corbin High School - Kentucky (High School)
1950-51 Furman University - South Carolina (College) Freshmen
1951-52 Furman University - South Carolina (College)
1952-53 Furman University - South Carolina (College)
1953-54 Furman University - South Carolina (College)
1954-55 Baltimore Bullets (NBA)
1954-55 Milwaukee Hawks (NBA)
1955-56 St. Louis Hawks (NBA)
1957-58 St. Louis Hawks (NBA)
1957-58 Minneapolis Lakers (NBA)
1958-59 New York Knicks (NBA)
1959-60 Syracuse Nationals (NBA)
1959-60 Minneapolis Lakers (NBA)
1960-61 Los Angeles Lakers (NBA)
1961-62 Los Angeles Lakers (NBA)
1962-63 Los Angeles Lakers (NBA)
1963-64 Los Angeles Lakers (NBA)
1966-67 Furman University - South Carolina (College) Head coach
1967-68 Furman University - South Carolina (College) Head coach 
1968-69 Furman University - South Carolina (College) Head coach
1969-70 Furman University - South Carolina (College) Head coach  


On February 13, 1954, Furman was celebrating their favorite senior with Frank Selvy night in a game against Newberry College. Selvy was averaging over 40 point per game, highest in the country. With 4000 fans, including many friends and family members from Kentucky, packed in to Textile Hall, Coach Lyles Ally told his team to get the ball to Selvy and let him do the work on his special night. What wound up happening is Selvy hit 41 of 66 field goal attempts and also scored 18 from the line to score a staggering 100 points, a record that still stands for a Division I team. (Newberry College was not a Division 1 opponent. The record for points in a game by a Division 1 player against a Division I opponent is 72 by Kevin Bradshaw.)

Selvy was the first overall selection in the 1954 NBA draft by the Baltimore Bullets. The Bullets franchise dissolved shortly into the 1954-55 season, and Selvy was selected by the Milwaukee Hawks in the dispersal draft. He would average 19 points per game in his rookie year and was partly into his second season with the Hawks (now in St Louis) when he entered the U.S. Army. He would spend two years in the service and returned to the Hawks in 1958. The Hawks traded him to the Lakers in mid-February of 1958, and joined the New York Knicks for the 1958-59 season. After a year with the Knicks, he was waived on the eve of the 59-60 season. He was claimed by the Nationals and spent about six weeks with Syracuse before being sold back to the Lakers. He spent the rest of his nine year career in Los Angeles before retiring in 1964 as a two-time All-Star. He returned to Furman to coach the team for four seasons.

Source:


Stats:
https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/s/selvyfr01.html
https://www.justsportsstats.com/basketballstatsindex.php?player_id=selvyfr01

Dick Rosenthal

Richard Anthony Rosenthal


Born:
January 20, 1930
St. Louis, MO

 :




Career
1948-49 McBride High School - Missouri (High School)
1949-50 McBride High School - Missouri (High School)
1951-52 University of Notre Dame (College)
1952-53 University of Notre Dame (College)
1953-54 University of Notre Dame (College)
1954-55 Fort Wayne Pistons (NBA)
1956-57 Fort Wayne Pistons (NBA)

A two-time basketball All-American as well as a baseball player at Notre Dame, Rosenthal was drafted by the Pistons in the first round of the 1954 NBA draft. After one season with Fort Wayne, he entered the U.S. Army and missed the 1956-57 season. He made his return to the Pistons in January of 1957 and played in 17 games before being released.

Rosenthal was working as the president of St. Joseph Bank and Trust in South Bend, Indiana, when Notre Dame hired him in 1987 to become the school's athletic director. Dick remained in that position until retiring in 1994.

Source:
Chicago Tribune, August 1, 1994

Stats:
https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/r/rosendi01.html
https://www.justsportsstats.com/basketballstatsindex.php?player_id=rosendi01

Frank Ramsey

Frank Vernon Ramsey, Jr.


Born:
July 13, 1931
Corydon, KY

Died:
July 8, 2018
Evansville, IN


Career
1947-48 Madisonville High School - Kentucky (High School)
1948-49 Madisonville High School - Kentucky (High School)
1950-51 University of Kentucky (College)
1951-52 University of Kentucky (College)
1953-54 University of Kentucky (College)
1954-55 Boston Celtics (NBA)
1956-57 Boston Celtics (NBA)
1957-58 Boston Celtics (NBA)
1958-59 Boston Celtics (NBA)
1959-60 Boston Celtics (NBA)
1960-61 Boston Celtics (NBA)
1961-62 Boston Celtics (NBA)
1962-63 Boston Celtics (NBA)
1963-64 Boston Celtics (NBA)

NATIONAL BASKETBALL HALL OF FAME1982

Ramsey would play baseball and basketball at the University of Kentucky. In 1952, the UK basketball program was suspended for a year due to a point-shaving scheme perpetrated by Wildcat players prior to Ramsey arriving there. Ramsey graduated in 1953 and was a first round draft pick by the Boston Celtics in the 1953 NBA draft, but Ramsey returned to UK for one more season, with the Wildcats finishing 25-0. However, Kentucky has to pass on the NCAA tournament due to a rule stating graduate students (like Ramsey and a few teammates who had also returned after the year off) were not permitted to compete. Ramsey would join the Celtics that fall and averaged 11.2 points in his rookie season. He was drafted into the U.S. Army, and missed the 1955-56 season but returned to the Celtics in January of 1957. All told, he would play nine seasons with the Celtics, with seven of those seasons as the NBA champions. He was a very versatile player, and was the first true "sixth man" in NBA history, coming off the bench and making an impact in limited playing time. He averaged 13.4 PPG in his career while playing in under 25 minutes per game. His number would be retired by the Celtics, and in 1982, Ramsey was elected to the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame.

After retiring in 1964, Ramsey went to work at the bank his grandfather founder, and he was president of that bank in Dixon, Kentucky, until retiring in his 80's. In 2018, he suffered an aneurysm and died shortly thereafter of cardiac arrest.

Frank and his wife, Jean, had three children.

Source:
Obituary, Washington Post, July 10, 2018
Obituary, kentucky.com, July 8, 2018

Stats:
https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/r/ramsefr01.html
https://www.justsportsstats.com/basketballstatsindex.php?player_id=ramsefr01

Thursday, August 8, 2019

Bob Pettit

Robert Lee Pettit, Jr.


Born:
December 12, 1932
Baton Rouge, LA

 :




Career
1948-49 Baton Rouge High School - Louisiana (High School)
1949-50 Baton Rouge High School - Louisiana (High School)
1950-51 Louisiana State University (College) Freshmen
1951-52 Louisiana State University (College)
1952-53 Louisiana State University (College)
1953-54 Louisiana State University (College)
1954-55 Milwaukee Hawks (NBA)
1955-56 St. Louis Hawks (NBA)
1956-57 St. Louis Hawks (NBA)
1957-58 St. Louis Hawks (NBA)
1958-59 St. Louis Hawks (NBA)
1959-60 St. Louis Hawks (NBA)
1960-61 St. Louis Hawks (NBA)
1961-62 St. Louis Hawks (NBA)
1962-63 St. Louis Hawks (NBA)
1963-64 St. Louis Hawks (NBA)
1964-65 St. Louis Hawks (NBA)

NATIONAL BASKETBALL HALL OF FAME1971

With a slim 6'9 frame, Bob Pettit went from LSU star to an 11-year career that saw him as one of the most effective scoring threats the NBA has ever seen.

Born in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, to Robert and Mary Pettit, young Bob didn't take to the sport right away, failing to make the high school team at first. Before his junior year, his dad, formerly the Sheriff of the East Baton Rouge Parish, pushed him to keep working at it. His work ethic, coupled with a growth spurt of five inches, got him on the school team in his junior year and he was named all-City. In his senior year, he lead the school to their first state championship.

Pettit received many scholarship offers, but chose to stay in state and go to LSU. A starter for all three years of varsity basketball, Pettit was twice named All-American as he average just under 28 points per game.  As a senior, he was the second play in major college history to average over 30 points in a season.

Pettit was selected second overall in the 1954 NBA draft by the Milwaukee Hawks. He moved from center to forward, and the hapless Hawks would see their fortunes improve as Pettit would win Rookie of the Year honors. The team moved to St. Louis the following season, and the team kept improving and in 1957 would win their first NBA championship. Pettit was in his prime, finishing regularly near the top of the league in scoring and rebounding and being a thorn in the side of the men he defended against.

Pettit would play 11 seasons with the Hawks, retiring in 1965. He had been named to the All-Star team every season he played, being selected as the All-Star Game MVP four times as well as being named the league's MVP twice. He lead the league in scoring twice, and at his retirement held the career points record with 20,880 (at the time I write this, he is in 43rd place in career points now, but his average of 26.4 points per game for his career is good for 8th place all-time).

After retiring from basketball, Pettit went to work in banking and later as a financial advisor as a co-founder of Equitas Capitol Investors. He was elected to the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 1971 and was one of the NBA's 50 greatest players selected for the NBA's 50 Anniversary celebration.

Pettit married Carol Crowell in 1965 (d. 2010) and they had three children.

Source:


Stats:
https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/p/pettibo01.html
https://www.justsportsstats.com/basketballstatsindex.php?player_id=pettibo01

Wednesday, August 7, 2019

Togo Palazzi

Togo Anthony Palazzi


Born:
August 8, 1932
Union City, NJ

Died:
August 12, 2022
Worcester, MA


Career
1948-49 Union City High School - New Jersey (High School)
1949-50 Union City High School - New Jersey (High School)
1950-51 College of the Holy Cross (College) Freshmen
1951-52 College of the Holy Cross (College)
1952-53 College of the Holy Cross (College)
1953-54 College of the Holy Cross (College)
1954-55 Boston Celtics (NBA)
1955-56 Boston Celtics (NBA)
1956-57 Boston Celtics (NBA)
1956-57 Syracuse Nationals (NBA)
1957-58 Syracuse Nationals (NBA)
1958-59 Syracuse Nationals (NBA)
1959-60 Syracuse Nationals (NBA)
1972-73 College of the Holy Cross (College) Freshmen - Head coach
1980-81 College of the Holy Cross (College) Women's team - Head coach
1981-82 College of the Holy Cross (College) Women's team - Head coach

Togo starred at Holy Cross, leading the team to a 1954 NIT title. He set many scoring records at Holy Cross, putting up 593 points as a junior to eclipse legendary Bob Cousy's single-season record, only to smash that with 670 points as a senior. He also set the school record when he dropped 47 on Brown University on February 14, 1953). Palazzi was drafted fifth overall by the Boston Celtics in the 1954 draft.

He was sold to the Nationals in November of 1956, and stayed with Syracuse through 1960. After six full seasons in the NBA, Palazzi returned to Holy Cross to coach.

Source:
goholycross.com

Stats:
https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/p/palazto01.html
https://www.justsportsstats.com/basketballstatsindex.php?player_id=palazto01

Tuesday, August 6, 2019

Boris Nachamkin

Boris Alexander Nachamkin

Born:
December 6, 1933
Brooklyn, NY

Died:
February 14, 2018
Poughkeepsie, NY


Career
1948-49 Thomas Jefferson High School - Brooklyn (High School)
1949-50 Thomas Jefferson High School - Brooklyn (High School)
1951-52 NYU (College)
1952-53 NYU (College)
1953-54 NYU (College)
1954-55 Rochester Royals (NBA)

After setting the school scoring record at NYU with 21.8 games in the 1952-53 season, Boris was drafted in the second round of the 1954 NBA draft by the Rochester Royals. He would only play in six games with them before being drafted by the U.S. Army. After his service, Boris worked for 36 years at Bankers Trust and eventually relocated to their London office where he would eventually be promoted to Head of Global Shipping.

Boris married was married to Anne-Margrete in 1964 and they had one son, Nikolai.

Source:
Obituary, McHoul Funeral Home

Stats:
https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/n/nachabo01.html
https://www.justsportsstats.com/basketballstatsindex.php?player_id=nachabo01


Monday, August 5, 2019

Red Morrison

Dwight W. "Red" Morrison


Born:
April 26, 1932
Fresno, CA

Died:
June 7, 2023
Mesa, AZ


Career
1947-48 Walla Walla High School - Washington (High School)
1948-49 Walla Walla High School - Washington (High School)
1949-50 Walla Walla High School - Washington (High School)
1951-52 University of Idaho (College)
1952-53 University of Idaho (College)
1953-54 University of Idaho (College)
1954-55 Boston Celtics (NBA)
1955-56 Boston Celtics (NBA)
1957-58 Boston Celtics (NBA)

Born to James and Phyllis Morrison in Fresno, California, Dwight and the Morrison family moved to Walla Walla, Washington, where "Red" would play basketball in high school.  went Red was drafted by the Celtics in the second round of the 1954 NBA Draft. He signed with the Celtics and played two years before quitting basketball to study medicine at Whitman College back in Walla Walla. He returned the Celtics in 1957 and played one more year before quitting the NBA. He wound up becoming a special agent for the FBI, pursuing fugitives and bank robbers and retired from the FBI after 22 years. He then worked at Boeing for about 4 years.

Red and his wife Peggy had two sons and two daughters.

Source:
celticslife.com, August 2013

Stats:
https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/m/morrire01.html
https://www.justsportsstats.com/basketballstatsindex.php?player_id=morrire01

Jackie Moore

John T. "Jackie" Moore


Born:
September 24, 1932
Philadelphia, PA

 :




Career
1947-48 Overbrook High School - Philadelphia (High School)
1948-49 Overbrook High School - Philadelphia (High School)
1949-50 Overbrook High School - Philadelphia (High School)
1951-52 La Salle University (College)
1952-53 La Salle University (College)
1953-54 La Salle University (College)
1954-55 Syracuse Nationals (NBA)
1954-55 Milwaukee Hawks (NBA)
1954-55 Sunbury Mercuries (EPBL)
1954-55 Philadelphia Warriors (NBA)
1955-56 Philadelphia Warriors (NBA)
1956-57 Philadelphia Warriors (NBA)

Moore leaded his Overbook HS basketball team to three straight Public League championships before heading to La Salle, where he would be the first black player on the basketball team. He was declared academically ineligibile in spring of 1954 and left school that summer. He signed with the Syracuse Nationals and played one game before being cut on November 3, 1954. He signed with the Milwaukee Hawks, and played one game against the Lakers before being cut again. He found his way to Sunbury in the Eastern League where he caught the attention of the Philadelphia Warriors. Moore signed with the Warriors and played for them for three seasons before a knee injury cut his career short. He was asked to help a young player by the name of Wilt Chamberlain to learn some of the finer points of the game, and Moore gets a lot of credit for helping Wilt to become one of the greatest players the game had ever seen. Moore eventually moved to Charlotte, North Carolina, where he is a well-respected man of the community, volunteering his time to help with people with substance abuse problems and driving people to medical appointments.

Source:
exnba.com, March 28, 2013
Philadelphia Tribune, January 27, 2014

Stats:
https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/m/mooreja01.html
https://www.justsportsstats.com/basketballstatsindex.php?player_id=mooreja01

Friday, August 2, 2019

Carl McNulty

Carl Edwin McNulty


Born:
February 14, 1930
Logansport, IN

Died:
January 14, 2020



Career
1946-47 Washington Township High School - Indiana (High School)
1947-48 Washington Township High School - Indiana (High School)
1949-50 Purdue University (College)
1950-51 Purdue University (College)
1951-52 Purdue University (College)
1954-55 Milwaukee Hawks (NBA)
1954-55 Rochester High School - Indiana (High School) Head coach
1955-56 Rochester High School - Indiana (High School) Head coach
1956-57 Elwood High School - Indiana (High School) Head coach
1957-58 Elwood High School - Indiana (High School) Head coach
1958-59 Elwood High School - Indiana (High School) Head coach
1959-60 Elwood High School - Indiana (High School) Head coach
1960-61 La Porte High School - Indiana (High School) Head coach
1961-62 La Porte High School - Indiana (High School) Head coach
1962-63 La Porte High School - Indiana (High School) Head coach
1963-64 La Porte High School - Indiana (High School) Head coach
1964-65 La Porte High School - Indiana (High School) Head coach
1965-66 La Porte High School - Indiana (High School) Head coach 
1966-67 Warren Central High School - Indiana (High School) Head coach
1967-68 Warren Central High School - Indiana (High School) Head coach 
1968-69 Kokomo High School - Indiana (High School) Head coach
1969-70 Kokomo High School - Indiana (High School) Head coach
1970-71 Kokomo High School - Indiana (High School) Head coach
1971-72 Kokomo High School - Indiana (High School) Head coach
1972-73 Kokomo High School - Indiana (High School) Head coach
1973-74 Kokomo High School - Indiana (High School) Head coach
1974-75 Kokomo High School - Indiana (High School) Head coach
1975-76 Kokomo High School - Indiana (High School) Head coach
1976-77 Kokomo High School - Indiana (High School) Head coach
1977-78 Kokomo High School - Indiana (High School) Head coach
1978-79 Kokomo High School - Indiana (High School) Head coach
1979-80 Kokomo High School - Indiana (High School) Head coach
1980-81 Kokomo High School - Indiana (High School) Head coach
1981-82 Kokomo High School - Indiana (High School) Head coach
1982-83 Kokomo High School - Indiana (High School) Head coach
1983-84 Kokomo High School - Indiana (High School) Head coach
1984-85 Kokomo High School - Indiana (High School) Head coach
1985-86 Kokomo High School - Indiana (High School) Head coach

Coming out of tiny Washington Township High School, McNulty would move on to Purdue where he who twice be selected the team's MVP and was named All-Big Ten. He would set both single game and season scoring records for the Boilermakers, and once pulled down 27 rebounds in a single game, still the school record as of this blog's publication. McNulty was drafted by the Minneapolis Lakers in the 1952 NBA Draft. He would play in one game a few years later with the Milwaukee Hawks. He went on to be a successful high school coach in Indiana, leading Kokomo High School to 13 sectional titles. One player he coached at LaPorte HS was future NBA player and MLB pitcher Ron Reed. McNulty was also a great softball player, playing into his 60's and being inducted into the Indiana Softball Hall of Fame.

Source:
Indiana Hoops Hall
Journal and Courier (Lafayette, IN), February 5, 2017
Pharos Tribune, February 9, 2017
kokomoperspective.com, February 20, 2018

Stats:
https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/m/mcnulca01.html
https://www.justsportsstats.com/basketballstatsindex.php?player_id=mcnulca01

Ken McBride

Kenneth Stanford McBride


Born:
May 23, 1929
Centralia, IL

Died:
May 14, 2005
Centralia, IL


Career
1946-47 Centralia High School - Illinois (High School)
1948-49 Maryland State College (College)
1949-50 Maryland State College (College)
1950-51 Maryland State College (College)
1951-52 Maryland State College (College)
1952-53 Camp Gordon (Military)
1954-55 Milwaukee Hawks (NBA)
1954-55 Kansas City Stars (Independent)
1955-56 Harlem Magicians (Independent)
1956-57 Harlem Magicians (Independent)

After a stellar career of basketball at Maryland State, McBride was drafted in 1952 by the Syracuse Nationals. However, he served in the U.S. Army prior to continuing on with his professional basketball career. After the army, McBride was released by the Nationals and signed by the Milwaukee Hawks. He started the season on a high note, pouring in 30 points against the Knicks in the Hawks' second game of the season. However, his game was little inconsistent and he by December of 1954 he was farmed out to the Kansas City Stars to polish his game up. He never returned to the NBA, and played a few more seasons with barnstorming independent teams.

Source:
News-Record (Neenah, WI), December 24, 1954

Stats:
https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/m/mcbrike01.html
https://www.justsportsstats.com/basketballstatsindex.php?player_id=mcbrike01

Thursday, August 1, 2019

Phil Martin

Phillip Roger Martin


Born:
April 2, 1928
Jackson, MI

Died:
June 24, 2008
Dallas, TX


Career
1944-45 Jackson High School - Michigan (High School)
1950-51 Michigan State University (College) Freshmen
1951-52 University of Toledo (College)
1952-53 University of Toledo (College)
1953-54 University of Toledo (College)
1954-55 Milwaukee Hawks (NBA)

Martin graduated from Jackson high School and served two years in the U.S. Navy before heading to college. He went to Michigan State for a year before transferring to Toledo where he would star on the basketball team and was names the best college player in Ohio. Martin was drafted by the Milwaukee Hawks in the 1954 NBA Draft and played with the Hawks for part of the 1954-55 season.

Source:
Toledo Rockets

Stats:
https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/m/martiph01.html
https://www.justsportsstats.com/basketballstatsindex.php?player_id=martiph01

Tom Marshall

John Thomas "Tom" Marshall


Born:
January 6, 1931
Coldwater, TN

 :




Career
1948-49 Mount Juliet - Tennessee (High School)
1949-50 Mount Juliet - Tennessee (High School)
1951-52 Western Kentucky University (College)
1952-53 Western Kentucky University (College)
1953-54 Western Kentucky University (College)
1954-55 Rochester Royals (NBA)
1956-57 Rochester Royals (NBA)
1957-58 Detroit Pistons (NBA)
1957-58 Cincinnati Royals (NBA)
1958-59 Cincinnati Royals (NBA) Head coach / player
1959-60 Cincinnati Royals (NBA) Head coach

From Mount Juliet, Tennessee, Tom Marshall was a two-time All-American at Western Kentucky, averaging well over 20 point per game. Marshall was taken seventh overall in the 1954 NBA Draft by the Rochester Royals. He played a season with the Royals before missing the 1955-56 season to serve in the U.S. Army. Except for a short stint with the Pistons, Marshall played exclusively in the NBA with the Royals, both in Rochester and Cincinnati. He would also serve as the head coach for a couple seasons. Marshall would eventually retired to Fort Myers, Florida.

Source:
Hilltopperhaven.com
wilsonpost.com, February 8, 2011

Stats:
https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/m/marshto01.html
https://www.justsportsstats.com/basketballstatsindex.php?player_id=marshto01

Ronnie MacGilvray

Ronald Gordon MacGilvray
born Ronald Gordon Griffith


Born:
July 20, 1930
Poughkeepsie, NY

Died:
February 11, 2007



Career
Sewanhaka High School - Floral Park, NY (High School)
1949-50 St. John's University (College)
1950-51 St. John's University (College)
1951-52 St. John's University (College)
1954-55 Milwaukee Hawks (NBA)

Confusing life story for Ronnie. I am trying to piece it together.

Ronald Gordon Griffith was born in 1930 to Donald Parkhurst Griffith and Beatrice (Plass). At some point before attending St John's, Ronald took on the name MacGilvray. It appears that Beatrice was later married to a Robert MacGilvray, so I am thinking that Donald Griffith either died or divorced, and when Beatrice remarried, the Ronald and his brother Roger took their step-father's name. (All of this could be way off. I am going with the information I can find.)

MacGilvray played basketball at St. John's University and was selected in the 1952 draft by the Rochester Royals, but he served in the U.S. Army for two years. In fall of 1954, we returned to the Royals but was cut two days before the opening of the 1954-55 season. He was signed by the Milwaukee Hawks and played six games for them before being released. He died in 2007, although as of the date of this blog entry, no one outside of his family seemed to be aware of his passing, even 12 years later.

Source:


Stats:
https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/m/macgiro01.html
https://www.justsportsstats.com/basketballstatsindex.php?player_id=macgiro01